RFA Spabeck
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsRFA Spabeck (A227) was one of six Template:Sclass coastal water carriers built for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary during the Second World War. During the 1950s she was modified to store high-test peroxide (HTP) for the experimental programme evaluating the feasibility of submarines using HTP operationally. The ship was sold for scrap in 1966.
Description
The Spa-class ships were designed for harbour duties as water carriers.<ref name=w2>Wilson, p. 252</ref> displaced Template:Convert at normal load and Template:Convert fully loaded. The ships had an overall length of Template:Convert, a beam of Template:Convert and a draught of Template:Convert at deep load. They were powered by a three-cylinder vertical triple-expansion steam engine that drove a single propeller shaft, using steam provided by one cylindrical boiler. The engine developed Template:Convert and gave a maximum speed of Template:Convert. The ships were armed with a single 12-pounder (Template:Cvt) gun and two [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Template:Convert Oerlikon]] AA guns<ref name=r4>Lenton, p. 614</ref>
Construction and career
Spabeck ordered in September 1941 from Philip and Son and was laid down on 14 May 1943 at their Dartmouth, Devon shipyard as Rivulet. The ship was launched on 21 June and commissioned on 3 September as Spabeck.<ref name=r4/><ref>Colledge, Ward & Bush, p. 404</ref> She was modified in 1948 as a HTP tanker to support the experimental submarines Template:HMS, Explorer and Excalibur. The ship was fitted with ten high-grade aluminium tanks capable of carrying Template:Convert of HTP, Template:Convert of distilled water, and Template:Convert of sulphur-free AVCAT jet fuel that was injected into the submarine's combustion chamber to increase its output.<ref name=t7>Thomas, p. S607</ref><ref name=w2/>
After the end of the programme in the early 1960s, Spabeck was laid up at Devonport. She was listed for disposal in January 1966 and put up for sale on 11 March. Purchased by a Belgian shipbreaking company for £10,875, she arrived at Antwerp en route to Willebroek, Belgium, for scrapping on 14 May.<ref name=t7/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>